Math Program Boasts Four Project NExT Alums

9/10/2013

Loras College Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Susan Crook, Ph.D., attended the first of a series of Project NExT workshops this summer in Hartford, Conn. Recent Ph.D. recipients in mathematical sciences have the opportunity to participate in this professional development program which aims to improve teaching and learning of mathematics through participation in professional activities throughout the year. Crook was chosen to be one of approximately 80 new members of the 2013-2014 Fellowship.

Project NExT began in 1994 and has had over 1,400 participants. The year-long program provides relevant resources to improve teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics. Through various sessions and meetings throughout the year, members such as Crook will learn innovative approaches to course teaching, alternative methods of teaching and assessing students, tips in preparing future teachers, and countless other information to help enhance their careers.

She is the fourth of seven Loras mathematics professors to participate in this program. Former Loras mathematics Project NExT participants include Robert Keller, Ph.D., Angela Kohlhaas, Ph.D., and Jacob Heidenreich, Ph.D. Crook had the opportunity to listen to speakers and participate in intense workshops and extensive discussions with a network of peers and mentors.

“I am excited to participate in the Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) program over the next year,” says Crook, who recently finished her first year of teaching at Loras College while also finishing her Ph.D. in numerical analysis at North Carolina State University. Her love for teaching is what led her to apply for the Project NExT Fellowship. “I look forward to connecting with other new mathematicians who have a passion for teaching and learning new ways to get students active in the mathematics community.”